Pool safety device



Oct. 9, 1962 R. J. MALVlNl 3,058,101

POOL SAFETY DEVICE Filed June 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F192 40 Rocco J. Ma/w'n/ 1N VEN TOR.

Oct. 9, 1962 R. J. MALVINI 3,058,101

POOL SAFETY DEVICE Filed June 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

R0000 J Ma/w'm' INVENTOR.

BY W mg United States Patent 3,058,101 P891. SAFETY DEVECE Rocco J. Malvini, 2566 Robinson Ave, Santa Clara, Calif. Filed June 26, 1959, Ser. No. 823,145 12 Claims. (Cl. 34tl213) This invention relates to safety devices, and more particularly to a safety device adapted to be used in pools, ponds, and other artificial water bodies where there is a likelihood or possibility of injury caused by children or adults falling into the body of water.

There is a continual hazard in the maintenance of a water body such as a swimming pool, because most swimming pools must remain unattended for considerable periods of time. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an automatic device for giving a warning signal in response to water disturbance, such as would be occasioned by a child falling into the swimming pool Another object of the invention is to provide a structurally and functionally unique signal device which is positive in its operation and very dependable. This is made so by virtue of the construction of the unit which is disposed in the pool.

:These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the corner of the pool wherein the unit is installed.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of a suggested electrical signal device and control box mounted on a post at any location desired by the owner of the pool.

FIGURE 5 is a largely diagrammatic view showing the electrical circuit of the signal device and unit.

In the accompanying drawings, a part of a swimming pool is selected for illustration of the environment of the invention. The swimming pool has side walls 12 and water 14 in the pool. Control unit 16 is mounted by means of bracket 18 on one of the side walls 12. Bracket 18 is attached by conventional fasteners 20 to wall 12 and has a pair of ears 22 and 24 projecting therefrom to which unit mounting brackets 26 and 28 are fastened, for instance by bolts 30. The brackets 26 and 28 extend through diametrically aligned apertures 3:2 in the cylindrical side wall 34 of an isolating hous ing 36. The housing has an upper wall 38 attached to side wall 34 and a lower wall 40 also attached to the side wall 34. The housing may be made of plastic or some other light weight material, and it has a water inlet opening 42 in the lower wall 40 thereof so that the Water within the housing seeks the level of the water of the pool. To accomplish this, there is an air vent opening 44 in the upper wall 38, and a cable guide 46 is'secured to wall 38 in alignment with vent 44 so that the multi-conductor electrical cable 48 may be guided therethrough.

A water-disturbance responsive float 50 which responds to disturbances of the water, is mounted on the exterior of housing side wall 34 and is constrained in its movement by having guide rod 52 extend through a central passageway 56 in the float. Rod 52 is held supported on the housing by brackets 58 and 60 attached to the side wall 34 of the housing. The longitudinal axis of rod 52 is parallel to the longitudinal aXis of the housing so that the float is capable of oscillating on the ex- 3,058,101 Patented Oct. 9, 1962 terior of the housing in a path of travel coordinated with the movement of a second water level reference float 62 located within the housing 36 and isolated thereby from minor water surface disturbances to which the device is not meant to respond. Permanent magnet 64 is attached to float 50 and has a magnetic attraction for magnets 66 carried by second water level reference float 62.

As shown in FIGURE 1, there is a group of magnets 66, each being identical. The polarities of magnets 66 and 64 are such that the adjacent ends of the magnets 64 and 66 attract to form a magnetic coupling means. For example, the outer ends of magnets 66 are the south poles of the magnets 66, and the inner end of magnet 64 is the north pole thereof. Typical magnet 66 identified in FIGURE 3 is mounted on oscillatable switch arm 68 of a position responsive to switch assembly. The switch arm is carried by a small upstanding U-shaped bracket 70 attached to a mounting plate 72 on the top surface of second float 62, and there is a pivot pin 74 which may be made of non-magnetic substance, as bracket 70 and mounting plate 72, passed through aligned apertures in magnet 66 and mounting bracket 71). The inner end of arm 68 is located above a disk 78 secured by bracket 80 to one end of a mercury type of position responsive switch element 82 of the position responsive switch assembly. The mercury switch is mounted for pivotal oscillation on a pivot pin 84 carried by a mounting bracket 86. The mounting bracket is secured to mouning plate 72, and disc 78 is at the center of the circle defined by the group of magnets 66 and switch arms 68. A light leaf spring 89, attached to one end to plate 72 and bearing lightly against one end of the mercury switch 82, is used to very lightly yieldingly op ose pivotal movement of the mercury switch so that the water-disturbance sensing switch section 88 of unit 16 Will not be overly sensitive.

The multi-conductor cable 48 has a pair of conductors 90 and 92 therein which are operatively connected to the terminals of mercury switch 82.

An electrical signal device 94, for instance, a siren or horn, is preferably mounted on a post 96 at any location with reference to the pool which the owner of the pool deems to be most advantageous. A control box 98 is carried by the post, and there is a conduit 100 attached to the post and through which cable 48 passes in reaching control box 98 and the electrical signal device 94.

The cable 48 may be concealed underground in a preferred installation (FIGURES 1 and 4) or may be otherwise connected between unit 16, post 96 and a low voltage source of electrical potential.

A typical electrical circuit 112 is diagrammatically shown in FIGURE 5. In this illustration, the low voltage source of electrical potential is represented by a stepdown transformer 110 fed from an AC. line. The signal device 94 is connected across the line by means of conductors 114 and 116. However, conductor 116 is connected through the switch section 118 of a relay 120, and the relay is energized by the low voltage side of the transformer 110. The reset switch 122 for relay is connected in conductor 124 that extends from the relay coil, and switch section 88 is connected in the same line 124 which continues as conductor 92 to the mercury switch 82. Conductor 90 from the mercury switch extends to the low voltage side of transformer 110, this completing the electrical circuit.

In use and operation, the unit 16 is installed in a pool as described previously. With'the water at a quiescent condition, first float 56 and second float 62 maintain a reasonably fixed vertical spacial relationship with reference to each other. Float 50 is made non-rotatable with respect to rod 52 by having a non-circular passageway 56 and a non-circular cross-section of rod 52 (FIGURE 2), thereby making it possible to have float 62 freely movable in the housing of unit 16.

Assuming that a small child would fall into the pool, the water level would be undulated due to the wave action, and this will cause float 50 to move up and down, that is, bob, on rod 52 while second float 62 remains comparatively stable since it is within the protective enclosure of the housing of unit 16 and hence substantially isolated from water disturbances. As soon as the float 50 moves sufficiently, the intermagnetic action between magnets 64 and 66 will cause one or more of the switch arms to be pivotally actuated and thereby tilt mercury switch 62 from its normally open position to a closed position. This is achieved by having the inner end of one or more of the arms 68 contact disk '78 and deflect the mercury switch through bracket 80.

As soon as the mercury switch 82 is closed, the part of the circuit 112 containing the coil of the relay 120 is energized, and the relay remains latched in the closed position. Closing the relay causes the portion of the circuit containing the electrical signal device 94 to be actuated and it will remain actuated until the reset button of switch 122 is actuated. A main control switch 140 can be applied in the relay coil circuit so that the entire system can be deactivated, for instance, during a storm or at any other time that the owner wishes to deactivate the system.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pool safety device comprising a unit adapted to be mounted within the pool, said unit having a disturbance isolating housing with a water inlet, a first water-disturbance responsive float mounted on the exterior of said housing, means connected with said housing for constraining the movement of said first float, a second water level reference float contained within said housing, a water disturbance sensing switch section, means operatively mounting said switch section on said second float, means connected with said first float and operable in coordination with said switch section for actuating said switch section in response to bobbing of said first float relative to the second float, and a signal device operatively connected to said switch section to yield a signal.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said switch section includes a plurality of pivotally mounted switch arms, a mercury switch mounted for pivotal movement on said second float, and mechanical means interconnected between said mercury switch and said switch arm to actuate said mercury switch in response to actuation of said switch arm.

3. A pool safety device comprising a unit adapted to be mounted within the pool, said unit having a disturbance isolating housing with a water inlet, a first waterdisturbance responsive float mounted on the exterior of said housing, means connected with said housing for constraining the movement of said first float, a second Water level reference float contained within said housing, a water disturbance sensing switch section, means operatively mounting said switch section on said second float, means connected with said first float and operable in coordination with said switch section for actuating said switch section in response to bobbing of said first float relative to the second float, and a signal device operatively connected to said switch section to yield a signal, said switch section including a plurality of pivotally mounted switch arms, a position responsive switch mounted for pivotal movement on said second float, and mechanical means interconnected between said position responsive switch and said switch arm to actuate said position responsive switch in response to actuation of said switch arm, said means for actuating said switch section in response to bobbing of said first float including a magnet carried by said first float, and magnetically attractive means carried by said switch arm.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said first float constraining means retains said first float substantially rotatably immovable, and said second float is free floating within said housing.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein there are a plurality of said switch arms carried by said second float and arranged substantially in a circle so that said second float may assume an indetermined rotational position with reference to said first float.

6. A safety device for a pool or artificial body of water of another type, said safety device comprising a housing, means for mounting said housing within the pool, said housing having a lower water inlet, an air vent at the top of said housing, a first water-disturbance responsive float, means mounting said first float on the exterior of said housing and constraining the movement of said first float to essentially up and down movement, a second water level reference float mounted in said housing and isolated thereby from minor water surface disturbances, a water disturbance sensing switch section carried by said second float and located within said housing, said switch section including a plurality of switch arms, a switch, mechanical means interconnecting said switch arms with said switch to operate said switch in response to movement of said switch arms, and means connected with said first float for actuating said switch arms in response to displacement of the first float relative to the second float.

7. A safety device for a pool or artificial body of water of another type, said safety device comprising a housing, means for mounting said housing within the pool, said housing having a lower water inlet, an air vent at the top of said housing, a first water-disturbance responsive float, means mounting said first float on the exterior of said housing and constraining the movement of said first float to essentially up and down movement, a second water level reference float mounted in said housing and isolated thereby from minor water surface disturbances, a water disturbance sensing switch section carried by said second float and located within said housing, said switch section including a plurality of switch arms, a switch, mechanical means interconnecting said switch arms with said switch to operate said switch in response to movement of said switch arms, magnetic means connected with said first float for actuating said switch arms in response to displacement of the first float relative to the second float.

8. The safety device of claim 7 wherein said magnetic means including a magnet secured to said first float, coacting with additional magnetic substance members carried by said switch arms through the housing for actuation of the switch arms in response to displacement of the first float relative to the second float.

9. The safety device of claim 7 wherein said mechanical means include a member mounted at approximately the center of the circular pattern of said switch arms, a bracket secured to said member and to said switch to move said switch in response to deflection of said member.

10. The safety device of claim 8 wherein said switch consists of a mercury switch.

11. A safety device for a pool or artificial body of water of another type, said safety device comprising a housing, means for mounting said housing within the pool, said housing having a lower water inlet, an air vent at the top of said housing, a first water-disturbance responsive float, means mounting said first float on the exterior of said housing and constraining the movement of said first float to essentially up and down movement, a

' second water level reference float mounted in said housing and isolated thereby from minor water surface disturbances, a water disturbance sensing switch section carried by said second float and located within said housing, said switch section including a plurality of switch arms, a switch, mechanical means interconnecting said switch arms with said switch to operate said switch in response to movement of said switch arms, and means connected with said first float for actuating said switch arms, an elec trical signal device energized by said switch section, a lower voltage circuit containing a relay and operatively connected with said electrical signal device, said relay having a coil, and said switch section in circuit with said coil to energize said coil and thereby energize said electric signal device.

12. A safety device for a pool or artificial body of water of an other type, said safety device comprising a housing, means for mounting said housing within the pool, said housing having a lower water inlet, an air vent at the top of said housing, a first water-disturbance responsive float, means mounting said first float on the exterior of said housing and constraining the movement of said first float to essentially up and down movement, a second water level reference float mounted in said housing and isolated thereby from minor water surface disturbances, a water disturbance sensing switch section carried by said second float and located within said housing, said switch section including a plurality of switch arms, a switch,

mechanical means interconnecting said switch arms with said switch to operate said switch in response to movement of said switch arms, and means connected with said first float for actuating said switch arms, an electrical signal device energized by said switch section, a lower voltage circuit containing a relay and operatively connected with said electrical signal device, said relay having a coil, and said switch section in circuit with said coil to energize said coil and thereby energize said electric signal device, said electric signal device connected with a source of electrical potential greater than the lower voltage source which energizes said coil in said relay whereby said switch section in said housing and in the region of the water in the pool is subject to low voltage only.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,028,263 Warrick Jan. 21, 1936 2,315,231 Stutsman et a1 Mar. 30, 1943 2,632,072 Zellner Mar. 17, 1953 2,671,834 Krniecik Mar. 9, 1954 2,723,390 Robertson Nov. 8, 1955 2,774,058 Raichel Dec. 11, 1956 2,816,973 Beck et a1 Dec. 17, 1957 2,857,492 Kathe Oct. 21, 1958 2,896,038 Gerber July 21, 1959 2,927,174 Walshin Mar. 1, 1960 

